Constances is a "general purpose" population-based epidemiological cohort.
It is a nationally representative sample of
200,000 adults aged between 18 and 69 (inclusive).
Due to its population size, the quality and diversity of data, and its monitoring methods, Constances is a unique epidemiological research tool. Constances, is a research platform broadly accessible to the scientific community that can be compared to the largest international cohorts.
Constances is also a public health tool, designed to support the public health objectives of the French National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) and of the national government, owing to the collection of highly diverse data from multiple sources on a representative sample.
Constances is an epidemiological surveillance tool, implemented through a partnership with the French institute for public health surveillance. Its data covers multiple domains, such as the epidemiological surveillance of occupational hazards.
The Constances project, managed through the participation of the French National Health Insurance Fund and its Health Screening Centres (HSC), is a partnership between the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the French National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM), the French National Old-Age Insurance Fund (Cnav), and the Université Paris-Cité, Paris Saclay University, Versailles Saint Quentin University (UVSQ) and the support of the French Ministry of health (Directorate general for health). The Constances Cohort Study is currently supported by the Investments of the Future governmental program as an « Infrastructure nationale en Biologie et Santé » and benefits from a grant from ANR (ANR-11-INBS-0002). It is also partly funded by MSD, AstraZeneca, Lundbeck and L’Oréal.
MARIE ZINS
Marie ZINS is a physician, epidemiologist, and lecturer at the Université Paris Cité. She heads the INSERM / Université Paris Cité / Paris-Saclay University / Versailles Saint Quentin University (UVSQ) "Population-based Cohorts" Unit (UMS 011).
Her research focuses on the scientific and technical development of population-based cohorts (Gazel and Constances cohorts), social epidemiology (social and occupational determinations of alcohol consumption, effects of retirement on behaviour and health) and on cohort-related methodological aspects (selection effects, longitudinal data analysis, data validation).
Marie Zins is the Constances cohort PI.
MARCEL GOLDBERG
Marcel Goldberg is a physician, epidemiologist, and lecturer at the Université Paris Cité. For over twenty years, he has run an Inserm research unit focusing on the epidemiology of occupational and social health determinants and was science adviser to the Occupational health department of the French health watch institute. He is a member of the Public health council and chairman of its "Information systems for public health" workgroup.
His research work focuses mainly on epidemiological studies of occupational hazards and of social determinants of health and ageing. He has created various epidemiological observation systems, in particular the Gazel cohort that has been monitored for over 25 years and for which he is co-PI with Marie Zins. He was also responsible for the Constances cohort.
Marcel Goldberg is co-PI, with Marie Zins and Lisa Berkman, of the Constances cohort.
LISA BERKMAN
Lisa Berkman is an epidemiologist whose research focuses mainly upon social health inequalities, social networks and health, occupational hazards ,and ageing.
Director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, she was chair of Department of Health and Social Behavior at the Harvard T.H. Chan Public Health School from 1995 to 2008. She is also the former head of the Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at Yale University.
In France, she is a guest professor at UVSQ and has been actively involved in the Gazel cohort since 1994.
She is co-PI of the Constances cohort, with Marie Zins and Marcel Goldberg.
